Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins

T-Boz made her mark in the music industry as a founding member and one-third of the Grammy Award-winning group TLC. Along with Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes and Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas, Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins...
Read More...

Rapper/actor T.I. has confirmed a follow-up to his 2006 drama Atl is underway. The coming-of-age film was the Whatever You Like hitmaker's big screen debut and now he has revealed he will be back for ATL 2 almost a decade later.
T.I., real name Clifford Harris, took to Instagram.com on Wednesday (05Mar15) and posted a photo of himself filming in a restaurant booth alongside co-stars Jackie Long, Albert Daniels and Jason Wever, and added the caption, "#ATL2 Get Ready".
Director Chris Robinson reposted the snap, adding, "#ATL WAS A CLASSIC #ATL2 WILL BE LEGENDARY!!! AND SO IT BEGINS THE CREW."
The rapper also added a photo of himself embracing actress Lauren London, who appears to be reprising her role as T.I.'s onscreen love interest, New-New.
The 2006 film, loosely based on the real-life experiences of producer Dallas Austin and TLC star Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins' upbringing in Atlanta, Georgia.
ATL also featured appearances from Outkast's Big Boi, Evan Ross, rappers Jazze Pha and Killer Mike and R&B star Monica.

R&B stars Tlc's online campaign to raise funds for a new album has closed with more than $430,000 (£268,000) in donations, almost three times higher than their original goal. The Waterfalls hitmakers called on fans last month (Jan15) to help cover the costs of their fifth and final album and gave themselves a month to hit their target of $150,000 (£93,750).
To their surprise, members Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins and Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas were able to reach the goal in just four days thanks to their fans, including celebrities such as Katy Perry, Dev Hynes, Russell Simmons, Soulja Boy, Bette Midler, and New Kids on the Block, who donated $10,000 (£6,250).
The campaign closed on Thursday (19Feb15), and more than 4,000 fans had made a donation, raising a total of $430,255 (£268,909).
The duo thanked fans for their support, writing on the Kickstarter.com fundraising page, "Thank you to everyone who has donated to our final album!! The amount doesn't matter but the fact that you donated means the world to us."
TLC are hoping to release the crowdfunded album this September (15), and have recruited veteran producer Ron Fair for the project.

R&B stars Tlc have expressed their gratitude to fans including Katy Perry, Bette Midler and New Kids On The Block for generously donating to their album crowdfunding campaign, making it most successful pop project on Kickstarter.com. The Creep hitmakers called on fans on Monday (19Jan15) to help cover the costs for their fifth and final album and gave themselves a month to hit their target of $150,000 (£93,750).
They reached their goal in just four days, thanks to big cash pledges from Perry and New Kids on the Block's Donnie Wahlberg, among others, and now Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins and Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas have issued a statement to People.com to thank their loyal followers.
The message reads: "Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for our fans for all of their amazing support. We feel so blessed to know that not only do our fans love us, but they believe in us. We have received support from longtime listeners that attended our first concerts, plus new fans who have only just started listening."
Giving special shout-outs to their most notable supporters, they add: "We were also so humbled by the outpour (sic) of support from other artists like Katy Perry, New Kids on the Block, Dev Hynes, Russell Simmons, Soulja Boy, Bette Midler and more!"
And TLC were given extra reason to celebrate on Thursday (22Jan15) as they discovered they had made Kickstarter history.
In an update for fans, they write, "Y'all are beyond amazing. We are happy and proud to say that this project is officially the MOST SUCCESSFUL POP PROJECT ON KICKSTARTER!!! You made this happen and we are so blessed!!"
Fans can continue to contribute to the project until the campaign ends on 19 February (15).

Tlc stars Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins and Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas have reached their Kickstarter.com goal to fund their fifth and final album in just four days. The duo launched the campaign on Monday (19Jan15), and asked fans to donate a minimum total of $150,000 (£100,000).
Celebrity fans Donnie Wahlberg and Katy Perry were among the devotees who pledged cash to help the Waterfalls hitmakers, bringing the total raised to $173,390 (£115,500) by early Thursday (22Jan15).
The crowdfunding campaign will continue until 19 February (15).

The surviving members of Tlc are close to reaching their target to fund the recording of their next album after an online campaign drew donations of more than $100,000 (£62,500) in just three days. Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins and Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas launched a new Kickstarter.com drive at the beginning of the week (19Jan15) to help cover the costs of recording and releasing their fifth and final studio album.
After starting the page on Monday (19Jan15), the girl group has received more than $100,000 (£62,500) in donations, pushing them more than 70 per cent of the way towards achieving their $150,000 (£93,750) goal.
TLC's summer (15) tourmates New Kids On The Block pledged $10,000 (£6,250) to the cause, and reports suggest pop star Katy Perry handed over $5,000 (£3,125).
Fans have until 19 February (15) to contribute. The campaign had raised $105,426 (£65,891) as WENN went to press.

New Kids On The Block star Donnie Wahlberg has given new tour mates Tlc a big boost after publicly pledging to donate $10,000 (£6,250) towards the R&B singers' crowdfunding campaign for their fifth and final album. The Step By Step hitmakers appeared with Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins and Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas on U.S. breakfast show Good Morning America on Tuesday (20Jan15) to announce plans for their joint summer tour, The Main Event, and during the segment, Wahlberg revealed the boy band would be throwing its support behind the surviving TLC members as they try to raise at least $150,000 (£93,750) on Kickstarter.com to cover the costs of their next project.
However, the singer/actor admitted there would be one stipulation in exchange for the cash - a collaboration with New Kids on the Block.
Sharing the generous donation live on air, Wahlberg said, "We're pledging $10,000, right now. It's going in...! But you've gotta do a duet with us."
A flattered T-Boz replied, "Our pleasure. We'd love that."
The upcoming release will be TLC's first album of new material in 13 years and their first without the input of late member, rapper Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes, who died in a car crash in 2002. She had previously contributed to TLC's last disc, 3D, which hit retailers seven months after her death.
T-Boz and Chilli have vowed to "stay true to the TLC sound" on the project, which they believe is the best way to "keep Lisa's memory alive".
The Kickstarter campaign was launched on Monday (19Jan15) and had already raised over $62,000 (£38,750) in the first 24 hours of going live. Fans have until 19 February (15) to donate to the cause.

The surviving members of R&B group Tlc are hitting the road with New Kids On The Block and rapper Nelly for an all-star summer tour. The Waterfalls hitmakers launched a crowdsourcing campaign to fund their fifth and final studio album on Monday (19Jan15), and now they have unveiled plans to join New Kids On The Block and Nelly for a 1980s and 1990s music extravaganza, billed as The Main Event.
The boy band announced the news with TLC singers Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas and Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins during an appearance on U.S. breakfast show Good Morning America on Tuesday (20Jan15).
New Kids star Donnie Wahlberg said, "There is no stopping us! We always have something up our sleeves. Our fans keep asking us to come back out on the road, and we want to keep giving them what they want."
The Main Event tour of North America will kick off on 1 May (15) in Las Vegas.
New Kids On The Block previously joined forces with the Backstreet Boys for a boy band spectacular in 2011, while they hit the road with 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men in the summer of 2013.

The surviving members of Tlc are appealing to fans to help them fund the release of their fifth and final studio album. Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins and Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas are seeking to raise at least $150,000 (£93,750) via a new Kickstarter.com campaign to cover the costs of making their first album of new material in 13 years.
The project will be the Waterfalls hitmakers' first studio release made without co-founding member Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes, who was killed in a car crash in 2002. She had previously contributed to TLC's last disc, 3D, which hit retailers seven months after her death.
Announcing the news to fans on their Kickstarter page on Monday (19Jan15), the duo writes, "We owe so much of our success to you. Your loyalty and support throughout the past 20 years motivates us to do our best work... Without you there would be no TLC!!
"This album, our FINAL ALBUM, is dedicated to all of you that have stuck with us, always challenging us to do our best. And of course, it's for the new fans too! We just want to put out great music that touches everyone. That's it."
T-Boz and Chilli promise to "stay true to the TLC sound" and add, "This final album will be the first studio album by the two of us. Of course, Lisa's spirit will always be present in our music. That will never change."
The singers are offering up a series of rewards in exchange for donations, with prizes ranging from special shout-outs in the new album's booklet, autographed memorabilia, personal phone calls from the stars and the chance to enjoy a movie date or slumber party with T-Boz and Chilli.
The crowdfunding campaign, which runs until 19 February (15), had already attracted over 100 investors and raised more than $8,000 (£5,000) in less than 12 hours.

Getty Images/Jeff Kravitz
Rihanna has taken a swipe at the surviving stars of girl group Tlc after they warned today's young female pop singers not to strip off for a career boost.
Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas and Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins, who formed the band with late member Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes, have spoken out to criticise current chart stars who appear to flaunt their sexuality in order to get ahead, insisting they achieved superstar status in the 1990s without baring all. Thomas told the Sydney Morning Herald, "At the end of the day the music speaks for itself, you don't have to take your clothes off if your music is great, " while Watkins told the Sydney Daily Telegraph, "We're not raggin' on (criticising) the girls who choose to do that, we just want girls to know you don't have to do that, it's not the only way. You don't have to be naked, you can just sing."
Rihanna, who is known for her provocative music videos and revealing outfits, now appears to have hit back at the singers over the comments by posting an old photo on her Twitter.com page showing TLC posing topless. The snap, which Rihanna has splashed as her banner on the social networking website, shows Watkins and Thomas covering their breasts with their hands.
The Umbrella star also added a picture of herself pulling a funny face and wrote in a post, "When there's no changing the fact that I'm me, and they're well... they're them." The row comes just days after Rihanna appeared at a fashion event in New York wearing a sheer gown which showed off her bare breasts and butt.

Tlc's former manager Perri 'pebbles' Reid has filed a $40 million (£25 million) defamation lawsuit against executives at U.S. TV network VH1 amid allegations she was falsely portrayed in a recent biopic. The ex-wife of music mogul Antonio 'L.A.' Reid was left fuming in October (13) after tuning in to Crazy, Sexy, Cool: The TLC Story, which documented the R&B trio's rise to fame and its split from Reid, and subsequently issued a statement claiming she had become the victim of an "unprovoked attack", in which she was depicted onscreen as a manipulative money-grabber.
Her attorney contacted VH1 bosses in a bid to have certain "false and defamatory statements" retracted, but after getting nowhere with the talks, Reid has filed suit, according to the New York Post.
In the legal papers, filed in an Atlanta, Georgia court on Friday (25Apr14), her lawyer claims she was portrayed as "a conniving and dishonest business woman who hoodwinked three innocent girls and exploited their talent for her own personal gain".
The suit goes on to accuse chiefs at the network's parent company Viacom of having "ignored fundamental canons of journalistic and literary conduct by publishing false and defamatory accusations with actual malice".
Viacom bosses have yet to respond to the legal action, and a company spokesperson has declined to discuss the suit, saying, "It's our policy not to comment on matters in litigation."
TLC members Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins, Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas and the late Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes parted ways with Reid in the mid-1990s after holding her responsible for their money troubles, which forced them to file for bankruptcy in 1995.

Title

Summary

T-Boz made her mark in the music industry as a founding member and one-third of the Grammy Award-winning group TLC. Along with Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes and Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas, Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins shot to fame with the group's exuberant debut single "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (1992). They also commanded attention with their brightly colored outfits, use of condoms as accessories, and sassy sensuality. TLC was unlike any other girl group that came before them, yet each member brought her own distinct style and personality. T-Boz brought a hip-hop swagger to Left Eye's wild rapping and Chilli's sexy R&B vocals. Despite legal issues with their management, TLC bounced back to the top of the charts with their landmark album <i>CrazySexyCool</i> (1994), featuring the hit singles "Creep" and "Waterfalls." Although she suffered from sickle cell anemia since childhood, T-Boz remained a strong force not only in the group, but also as a spokesperson for the disease. Along with her bandmates, she empowered young women to take control of their lives. TLC earned more accolades for its third album <i>FanMail</i> (1999), but the group's success came to an abrupt end when Left Eye died from a tragic car accident in Honduras in 2002. T-Boz and Chilli continued recording and touring as TLC, but it was clear that the group was never the same again. Having paved the way for hit-makers like the Spice Girls and Destiny's Child, T-Boz and her group mates were undeniably true pioneers in R&B/hip-hop music.

Name

Role

Comments

Education

Name

Notes

Watkins reportedly filed for bankruptcy in October 2011. According to documents filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the singer allegedly owed creditors $768,642.99 – mostly from mortgages on her $1.2 million house.